Experts rue lack of preparedness

A 2,500-km-long major fault line has developed beneath the surface of the earth from the Hindukush mountains up to Myanmar. This poses a serious threat of jolting the earth  anytime that would be devastating for countries like Bangladesh lying only 100 km from it, said experts. Talking to The Independent on the 6.7 magnitude earthquake that rocked the country early on Monday, the experts said Bangladesh may be jolted anytime as the country didn’t face a strong earthquake in the last 100 years.

They said an earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale at the Madhupur fault line not far from Dhaka, might cause huge economic losses —- a mind boggling USD 6.1 billion, which is about 50 per cent of the country’s annual national budget. An earthquake of such a magnitude could result in the death of 1,31,000 people and cause injury to innumerable others.
Expressing serious concern about the lack of adequate preparations and awareness programmes by the government to face such a natural disaster, experts suggested both short and long-term initiatives immediately, including retrofitting of hospitals, fire services and strict implementation of the building code to minimise the loss of lives and properties.
“Had Monday’s quake occurred 200 km within Bangladesh, it would have been the most devastating the country has ever experienced,” Mehedi Ahmed Ansary, professor of civil engineering at BUET, told The Independent.
It depends on the depth of the epicentre of the quake to increase the magnitude of the tremor rocking places around, he added.
“An earthquake of 8.7 magnitude had jolted what is now Bangladesh in 1897. No one can predict on earthquake and it could happen anytime,” Ansary said.
Bangladesh does not have adequate preparations and modern equipment to face such a catastrophe. Experts emphasised the need for preparedness and awareness programmes by the government to face such disasters in  future, he added.
Replying to a query, Prof Ansary said damages and causalities have been assessed on the basis of occurrence time of possible earthquake.
“If it occurs at 2:00am, causalities would be greater. If the city is rocked at 2:00pm, causalities will be less. Most of the people stay home at night, while during the day students, children and others are in school, offices or open places,” he added.
According to Dr ASM Maksud Kamal, Professor of the Geological Department of Dhaka University, as many as 72,000 high-rise residential buildings and commercial centres in the capital may be destroyed due to faulty construction.
There is no alternative to creation of awareness among the people about earthquake and its devastating impact, he added.
“As Bangladesh is located in the quake-prone zone geographically and neighbouring countries are being hit frequently by powerful earthquakes, there is a possibility that Bangladesh might also face a similar devastating quake in future. The Indian plate is very active and moving six centimetres in the direction of the downward slope under the Eurasian plate each year, while the Burmese plate is moving north-west,” Reshad Md Ekram Ali, director of the Geological Survey of Bangladesh, told The Independent.
The building code should be implemented on a mandatory basis, Ali said, adding that the government’s initiative on preparedness is far from satisfactory.
According to Reshad Md Ekram Ali, the Great Indian Earthquake, the most severe quake with a magnitude of 8.7 on the Richter scale, struck the Assam basin of what is now Meghalaya on April 12, 1897. The ripple effect of this devastating quake was felt in Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet districts, leaving over 500 people dead.
Bangladesh is quake-prone as it lies along the border of the Eurasian and Indo-Australian plates, where quakes strike at regular intervals and are of comparatively uniform size.
Quakes may strike in this region in a cyclic order of 100 years. According to experts, the Great Indian Earthquake of 1897 is more likely to be repeated every 100 years. Among the seven deadly quakes in the Himalayan ranges, the last one occurred in 1905.

Experts rue lack of preparedness

A 2,500-km-long major fault line has developed beneath the surface of the earth from the Hindukush mountains up to Myanmar. This poses a serious threat of jolting the earth anytime that would be devastating for countries like Bangladesh lying only 100 km from it, said experts. Talking to The Independent on the 6.7 magnitude earthquake that rocked the country early on Monday, the experts said Bangladesh may be jolted anytime as the country didnt face a strong earthquake in the last 100 years. They said an earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale at the Madhupur fault line not far from Dhaka, might cause huge economic losses - a mind boggling USD 6.1 billion, which is about 50 per cent of the countrys annual national budget. An earthquake of such a magnitude could result in the death of 1,31,000 people and cause injury to innumerable others. Expressing serious concern about the lack of adequate preparations and awareness programmes by the government to face such a natural disaster, experts suggested both short and long-term initiatives immediately, including retrofitting of hospitals, fire services and strict implementation of the building code to minimise the loss of lives and properties. Had Mondays quake occurred 200 km within Bangladesh, it would have been the most devastating the country has ever experienced, Mehedi Ahmed Ansary, professor of civil engineering at BUET, told The Independent. It depends on the depth of the epicentre of the quake to increase the magnitude of the tremor rocking places around, he added. An earthquake of 8.7 magnitude had jolted what is now Bangladesh in 1897. No one can predict on earthquake and it could happen anytime, Ansary said. Bangladesh does not have adequate preparations and modern equipment to face such a catastrophe. Experts emphasised the need for preparedness and awareness programmes by the government to face such disasters in future, he added. Replying to a query, Prof Ansary said damages and causalities have been assessed on the basis of occurrence time of possible earthquake. If it occurs at 2:00am, causalities would be greater. If the city is rocked at 2:00pm, causalities will be less. Most of the people stay home at night, while during the day students, children and others are in school, offices or open places, he added. According to Dr ASM Maksud Kamal, Professor of the Geological Department of Dhaka University, as many as 72,000 high-rise residential buildings and commercial centres in the capital may be destroyed due to faulty construction. There is no alternative to creation of awareness among the people about earthquake and its devastating impact, he added. As Bangladesh is located in the quake-prone zone geographically and neighbouring countries are being hit frequently by powerful earthquakes, there is a possibility that Bangladesh might also face a similar devastating quake in future. The Indian plate is very active and moving six centimetres in the direction of the downward slope under the Eurasian plate each year, while the Burmese plate is moving north-west, Reshad Md Ekram Ali, director of the Geological Survey of Bangladesh, told The Independent. The building code should be implemented on a mandatory basis, Ali said, adding that the governments initiative on preparedness is far from satisfactory. According to Reshad Md Ekram Ali, the Great Indian Earthquake, the most severe quake with a magnitude of 8.7 on the Richter scale, struck the Assam basin of what is now Meghalaya on April 12, 1897. The ripple effect of this devastating quake was felt in Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet districts, leaving over 500 people dead. Bangladesh is quake-prone as it lies along the border of the Eurasian and Indo-Australian plates, where quakes strike at regular intervals and are of comparatively uniform size. Quakes may strike in this region in a cyclic order of 100 years. According to experts, the Great Indian Earthquake of 1897 is more likely to be repeated every 100 years. Among the seven deadly quakes in the Himalayan ranges, the last one occurred in 1905.